The average American manages to tuck into 64 pounds of beef a year, which is why the debate over beef quality is so important. There’s still plenty of heat on the pros and cons of a high protein diet such as the Paleo diet, and whether we should continue to consume animal proteins to meet our dietary requirements, even when there are perfect nutritional non-animal proteins such as beans, whole grains, nuts, soy and even dairy products.
But perhaps the most confusion reigns over the subject of grass-fed versus grain-fed beef. We decided to simplify it for you with four basic points to explain the difference:
- Livestock that are raised on pastures and are free to roam as they want, feed when they’re hungry, and dine only on natural grass.
- The ones that live in stalls have nothing to do but eat, are fed mostly GMO grain, and get little to no exercise.
- As a result, the meat you get from grass-fed cattle is leaner and juicier with a high moisture content. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6 and beta-carotene. With as little as 140 calories per serving, grass-fed beef even boasts lower levels of cholesterol.
- The meat that you get from cows raised on a diet of grain is rather greasy in comparison, and tougher. It has a high fat content and also, understandably, higher levels of cholesterol.
Although purists will swear by fatty, marbled cuts of meats that mostly come from grain-fed animals, the healthier option is pretty obvious.
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Read More:
Smart Foods: The Five Cuts Of Beef That Will Help You Lose Weight
Summer Food Safety: How To Keep Your Raw Meat Fresh & Clean
